Doo.Ri.(Interview)(Brief article)

Byline: Florence Kane

Before we can check in with second-time finalist Doo-Ri Chung, some back story is required: Two years ago, when she participated in the first-ever Fashion Fund, Chung was reverse-commuting from her Chelsea apartment to her studio in the basement of her parents' New Jersey dry-cleaning business; in those humble surroundings, she turned out tiny collections of slinky but smart jersey dresses. . . . And like almost all young New York designers, she had her struggles and strife. "My lowest point was when I really had to worry about how I was supposed to get funding for production," she says. "_'How do I float it? What do I tell my factory? How do I ask my parents again?'_"

Fast-forward to 2006. Earlier this year Chung won the Perry Ellis Award for "emerging talent in womenswear," and her collections have grown from twelve to 35 pieces. "That's a big jump for me," she says. "Now my focus is really trying to keep the significant look ...